SUMMER RED-BIRD 



97 



in bringing it down; and found it to be a young bird of the same 

 species with the one I had killed in the preceding May, but less 

 advanced to its fixed colors ; the wings entirely of a greenish yel- 

 low, and the rest of the plumage spotted in the most irregular man- 

 ner, with red, yellow, brown and greenish. This is the variegated 

 Tanager, referred to in the synonyms prefixed to this article. Hav- 

 ing, since that time, seen them in all their stages of color, during 

 their residence here, I have the more satisfaction in assuring the 

 reader that the whole four species mentioned by Dr. Latham are 

 one and the same. The two figures in our plate represent the male 

 and female in their complete plumage, and of their exact size. 



The food of these birds consists of various kinds of bugs, and 

 large black beetles. In several instances I have found the stomach 

 entirely filled with the broken remains of humble bees. During 

 the season of whortle-berries they seem to subsist almost entirely 

 on these berries; but in the early part of the season on insects of 

 the above description. In Pennsylvania they are a rare species, 

 having myself sometimes passed a whole summer without seeing 

 one of them; while in New Jersey, even within half a mile of the 

 shore opposite the city of Philadelphia, they may generally be 

 found during the season. 



The note of the male is a strong and sonorous whistle, resem- 

 bling a loose trill or shake on the notes of a fife, frequently repeat- 

 ed; that of the female is rather a kind of chattering, approaching 

 nearly to the rapid pronunciation of chicky-tucky-tuck, chicky-tucky' 

 tuck, when she sees any person approaching the neighbourhood 

 of her nest. She is, however, rarely seen, and usually mute, and 

 scarcely to be distinguished from the color of the foliage at a dis- 

 tance; while the loquacity and brilliant red of the male make him 

 very conspicuous; and when seen among the green leaves, parti- 

 cularly if the light falls strongly on his plumage, he has a most 

 beautiful and elegant appearance. It is worthy of remark, that the 

 females of almost all our splendid feathered birds are drest in plain 



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